Accounting

Accounting News & Professional Insight

Accounting Today delivers news, rankings, thought leadership, and analysis for accounting professionals so they can navigate change in standards, firm strategy, technology adoption, talent, and the overall business environment.

Accounting professionals are facing rapid transformation, including shifting professional standards, demographic change, technology disruption, practice consolidation, and changing expectations for advisory services. Our coverage surfaces these strategic dynamics and provides insights and analysis for firms, leaders, and the accounting profession.

  • The International Accounting Standards Board has published for public comment a discussion paper exploring possible changes to the IASB’s Conceptual Framework for Financial Reporting.

    July 22
  • The proposed changes in lease accounting standards described in the recent exposure draft from the Financial Accounting Standards Board and the International Accounting Standards Board will significantly alter financial reporting standards for both lessors and lessees, according to Fitch Ratings.

    July 17
  • The Financial Accounting Standards Board and the Private Company Council voted Tuesday to finalize the Private Company Decision-Making Framework, which outlines criteria they intend to use for determining whether and under what circumstances it is appropriate to adjust financial reporting requirements for private companies following U.S. GAAP.

    July 16
  • The cost of the transition to International Financial Reporting Standards was significant for many companies, but generally around the same amount they had budgeted or less than they expected, according to a new study.

    July 16
  • The National Association of State Boards of Accountancy and the American Institute of CPAs have pledged their cooperation on financial reporting frameworks for private after a dispute broke out between the two organizations over the AICPA’s recent issuance of its Financial Reporting Framework for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises.

    July 15
  • The Financial Accounting Standards Board is issuing a new accounting standards update on Monday that defers indefinitely certain disclosures about investments held by nonpublic employee benefit plans in their plan sponsors’ own nonpublic equity securities.

    July 8
  • The Governmental Accounting Standards Board has issued for public comment a proposed statement regarding the transition provisions of GASB’s new pension standards for state and local governments with the goal of eliminating a potential source of understatement of restated beginning net position and expense in a government’s first year of implementing GASB’s new pension accounting standards.

    July 2
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Accounting: Key Questions & Analysis

What are the key trends and strategies emerging from accounting industry leaders?

Top leaders are focused on structural challenges facing firms, including succession planning, evolving service mix, and long-term sustainability of traditional models.

How are accounting firms positioning themselves for the profession’s next phase?

Firm leaders are redefining and evaluating their strategy for growth. This includes investing in people and systems as well as rethinking how firms deliver value to address changing client needs and competition.

What role does professional identity play as accounting continues to change?

Debate continues over how accounting defines itself. This is due to accounting expanding into advisory, consulting, and technology-enabled services. These changes can raise questions about standards, training, and long-term credibility.

How are accounting firms managing leadership and succession risk?

Demographic shifts are accelerating in accounting. This means more firms are confronting leadership transitions and ownership succession which can create critical strategic risks that influence growth, culture, and valuation.